Kraken Forward Set for Fresh Start

The newest Seattle Kraken forward is ready for a fresh start with the team.

Oct 5, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Kaapo Kakko (24) skates across the blue line against the Boston Bruins during the third at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images / Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

The Seattle Kraken and retooling New York Rangers came together for the latest big trade in the NHL. The Kraken sent defenseman Will Borgen and a pair of mid-round 2025 draft picks for former second-overall pick of the Rangers, forward Kaapo Kakko. The trade comes almost immediately after the team healthy scratched him in a recent game and he was vocal about his frustrations with being benched.

Now the former Rangers forward gets a fresh start with the Kraken. It's been a tough stretch for Kakko on Broadway. The 23-year-old has the talent and drive to be an impact player at the NHL level, and the Seattle front office is excited by his addition. Kraken General Manager Ron Francis called out his skill and offensive potential in his remarks after acquiring Kakko.

"Kaapo is a young dynamic forward who brings skill and offense to our club," he said. "We're excited to have him join us."

So far this season, Kakko hasn't had much chance to show off that dynamic skill with the Rangers. He'd fallen out of favor with the organization and his ice-time fell to just a bit over 13 minutes per game. Through the first 30 games, he has four goals and 14 points despite the reduced ice-time.

One thing that sticks out though is that Kakko has managed to produce even with limited opportunities. According to advanced player statistics from Puck IQ, Kakko is averaging his best points per 60 minutes of his career, with 2.09 points per 60 minutes of ice-time. For reference, when the Finnish forward had his career best season in 2022-2023, he scored at a clip of 1.73 points per 60 minutes of ice-time. He finished that campaign with 18 goals and 40 points.

With Seattle, Kakko will get well above 13 minutes of ice-time each game, and it could immediately be beneficial for him and the Kraken. Kakko also enters motivated and hungry to prove his previous organization wrong, which could lead to a successful fresh start for the Kraken's newest forward.

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